Now or Never

Hadn’t she learned anything in twenty-one years? Her sister always got her into trouble.
    Here we go again , Grayson thought nervously.
    As Luna casually sauntered back to Grayson, the blond guy spoke to the one Grayson had chosen. The two men turned their attention over to her, and she wanted to sink into the floor. She was going to kill her sister.
    Luna sat back down and smiled as the two men made their way over to the table.
    Shit.

CHAPTER 9

    Grayson’s stomach flipped when the dark-haired man pulled up a stool beside her. She had no idea what her sister had said to the blond, who in turn had brought this sexy stranger to her side. Thankfully, the bar was dimly lit so he couldn’t see how red her face was.
    He leaned towards her resting his forearms on the table holding her gaze steadily. “What’s your name?”
    Grayson froze, she didn’t want to give her real name. She looked around for inspiration, and then glanced down at the amber and carnelian bracelet around her wrist. “Amber.”
    “Amber.” He rolled the word around as if he was tasting it. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Todd.”
    Grayson raised the glass to her lips finishing her drink, and then pushed it to the side to pick up the next. She wasn’t sure why she’d lied about her name, but it was too late now anyway. Maybe if she pretended like she was someone else, she could actually go through with the madness?
    Luna seductively led the blond out onto the dance floor, leaving Grayson alone with a complete stranger. Bitch.
    “Are you from around here?” Grayson asked loudly.
    He shook his head. “I’m from California. We’re just here for training.”
    “Are you in the military?”
    “Yeah, I’m a Marine.”
    So Luna was right. She usually was, as much as Grace hated to admit it. “How long are you here for?”
    “We’re leaving tomorrow. We’ve been here a couple of weeks already.” He took a swig from his beer. “This is my first night out, a celebration of sorts.” He glanced over at his friends. “I have to make sure the guys don’t get into trouble though.”
    He really could be perfect for what she had in mind. She would never see him again, and he didn’t even know her real name. She stared at his profile. He was a good-looking man, well over six-foot tall. She had always liked tall men. Compared to her five foot two frame, it was a stark contrast.
    “Ah, baby-sitter of the group?” Grayson said sagely. “That’s how I feel about my sister most of the time.”
    “Yeah, something like that.” He leaned in closer.
    “So tell me about yourself, Todd.”
    “What do you want to know?”
    “What do you do for fun?”
    Todd’s face lit up. “I love to golf.”
    Oh, boy. Grayson took another drink and could feel the alcohol start to take on even more of an effect. Her body temperature always rose a few degrees when she drank. Suddenly, the room felt very hot and her head was tipsy. But it helped to drown out the golf jargon her ‘date’ was currently spewing. She nodded at the appropriate times as she finished her drink. Todd was really nice, and he was definitely hot, but golf was not an aphrodisiac.
    Turning to the crowd to search for her sister, Grayson was shocked to see Luna full-on making out with her guy on the dance floor. That girl has no shame , Grayson thought, quickly turning back to Todd before her sister realized she was staring for too long.
    A couple of songs, and a few long golf stories later, Luna came back to the table, holding hands with the unknown guy. “We’re out of here.” She eyed Todd. “Hey, what’s your name?”
    “Todd.”
    “Todd, take care of my sister, okay?”
    He looked at Grayson and back at Luna. “Sure.”
    Luna grabbed her purse and kissed Grayson on the cheek. “I’ll call you in the morning.”
    As Grayson watched her twin walk out the door, she promised herself she was going to strangle that girl in the morning.
    “Sorry about that,” she spoke up, turning back to Todd.
    He lifted a dark eyebrow. “Sorry about what?”
    “Her, my sister I mean.” Grayson laughed. “I promise; we’re nothing alike. This is her scene. She just dragged me along.”
    “No problem. I have to stay here until closing anyway. Remember, it’s my job to make sure there’s no trouble. Afterwards, I can drive you home.”
    “It’s okay. Actually, I think I’ll go.” Grayson stood to leave, giving him a smile. “I can catch a cab home.”
    Todd reached for her, his